The present invention relates to an assembly device, in particular to a fully automatic assembly device for producing microsystem technical products and for assembling components in the semiconductor industries, comprising an assembly table, at least one material transport system that transports the products to be placed with components, and at least one transport system mounted on the assembly table, and at least one component transport unit that is arranged and displaceable perpendicularly to the transport system and that comprises at least one assembly head.
Such assembly devices are known from prior art. Known generic assembly devices can be classified in three main categories: Assemblers/inserters for producing electronic components, assembly automates for the semiconductor industry and laboratory devices for the assembly of samples of microsystem technical demonstration models. Such assembly devices, however, exhibit manifold disadvantages in particular for the production of Microsystems.
Thus, so-called assemblers/inserters are optimized for speed, i.e. for a maximum throughput of placement numbers of up to 100,000 insertion units/h. However, they exhibit the disadvantage of entailing a reduced assembly accuracy with an increase of the speed. This means that such assembly devices are only used for a very restricted spectrum of components, substrates and assembly processes. The use of assemblers/inserters for the assembly of Microsystems is not possible in particular for reasons of precision and due to a lack of flexibility.
Compared thereto, assembly automates for the semiconductor industry, the so-called die bonders, are optimized for process security, i.e. in particular for a relatively high assembly accuracy. A plurality of die bonder configurations is thereby known. These, however, suffer from the disadvantage that the applied and hitherto known frame techniques in combination with the assembly movements to be carried out either are an encumbrance for the space available, i.e. the restriction to the working space available on the assembly table, or the adaptability and configurability, respectively and accessibility of the device is impeded and restricted, respectively. Moreover, a sufficient rigidity of the known die bonder structures for achieving high assembly accuracies with correspondingly high process speeds for obtaining high throughput numbers has not been solved to date in a satisfying manner.
Assembly devices known from the electronic and semiconductor industries therefore comply neither with the combined requirements for assembly precision at a simultaneously high throughput rate, nor are they configured so flexibly that a rapid adaptability to different process requirements and material presentations can take place.
It is therefore the object of the present invention, to provide for a generic assembly device, which guarantees a high assembly precision, a high throughput rate, as well as a simple adaptability.
This task is solved by an assembly device having the features pursuant to claim 1.
Advantageous configurations are described in the subclaims.
With an inventive assembly device, a component transport unit, or component transport units, is/are arranged on one or more portals displaceable by means of a transport system in parallel to the direction of transport of the products to be placed with components, which products are in turn displaced by the material transport system(s).
Due to the inventive arrangement of the portal and the material transport system, it is possible to mainly move only the assembly head for material transportation. The portal itself thereby only carries out a short balancing movement in certain assembly modes, so that relatively small masses have to be moved. Thereby, the assembly head can be moved at a higher speed, which in turn leads to higher throughput rates at an increased assembly precision. It is moreover possible to execute larger transport movements by a displacement of the portals, so that the entire available surface of the assembly table can be covered, hence enabling a high component or substrate variation. Furthermore, due to the portal/s displaceable in parallel and arranged perpendicular to the direction of the material transport system, it becomes possible that materials of a high width, respectively products of a high width to be placed with components, can be processed. Alternatively thereto, several material transport units can be arranged simultaneously in the assembly device, so that, due to this fact, the placement speed can also be distinctly increased. By means of the portal structure, it is moreover inventively achieved that the center of gravity of the transport system, and of all movable elements of the assembly device, respectively, lies relatively close to the surface of the assembly table. Thereby, a still more vibration-free structure of the assembly device is achieved, so that a very high assembly precision is guaranteed. Due to the portal structure, the space available on the assembly table remains maintained, a fact which is advantageous for accessibility, adaptability and configurability.
In an advantageous configuration of the inventive assembly device, the transport system is comprised of a rail system having a first rail and a second rail arranged parallel to one another. By means of this rail system, an exact displacement of the portal/s is guaranteed.
In another advantageous configuration of the inventive assembly device, the transport system is comprised of a third rail displaceable in a machine frame of the assembly device in parallel to the direction of transport of the products to be placed with components, which products are in turn displaced by the material transport system/s, whereby at least one portal carrier engages perpendicularly into said rail, so that the portal/s is/are displaceable.
Thereby, reaction forces from the movement of the component transport unit are diverted in an optimized manner. Occurring vibrations are minimized by means of the improved power flux.
In a further advantageous configuration of the invention, the portal or the portal carrier, comprises a bearing at its end lying opposite to the third rail, said bearing coming to rest on a counter-bearing configured in the machine frame and in parallel to the third rail. Thereby, the space available on the assembly level is increased again. In addition, the accessibility of the assembly device and the free configurability thereof is enhanced.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the inventive assembly device, the transport system presents at least one portal drive. Although the use of a single portal drive already leads to excellent results in the field of assembly accuracy and assembly speed, the use of two portal drives, each arranged on one side of the portal, can result in even higher assembly accuracies and assembly speeds. This resides in the reason that the gravity center of the portal, as a rule, is eccentrically relative to the drive system or the position of the gravity center of the portal, is time-variable due to continuously changing load conditions. This eccentricity or time-variability, can lead to unbalances having a correspondingly negative influence on the assembly or positioning precision of the portal. By the use of two controlled portal drives, it is guaranteed that the gravity center of the portal is always between the drives, and hence, an eccentric position cannot occur. By using two controlled portal drives, it can moreover be achieved that, depending on the actual position of the gravity center of the portal, the drive control can be conceived adaptively, so that a high dynamic rigidity of the portal structure can be obtained. This inventive configuration hence allows for carrying out positioning in an even more exact manner.
In a further advantageous configuration of the inventive assembly device, the transport system is arranged at the table level of the assembly table. Thereby, the entire structure of the assembly device is guaranteed to be extremely vibration-free.
In a further advantageous configuration of the invention, it is, however, possible that the transport system is disposed above the table level of the assembly table. Thereby, the free space available on the assembly table surface is increased, so that a larger number of various components or the like can be arranged.
In a further advantageous configuration of the inventive assembly device, the movements of several portals can be mutually synchronized. Thus, the production speed can be considerably increased. By a dynamically optimized synchronization of several portals in their respective movements, a distinct reduction of machine vibrations can be achieved (dynamic balancing), by means of which the assembly accuracy can be further increased.
In a further advantageous configuration of the invention, the assembly head is comprised of a vertically or horizontally arranged turret head. By the use of a turret head, the number of transport travels can be considerably reduced, whereby ancillary transport times can be decreased, and the production speed in turn can be increased.
In a further advantageous configuration of the invention, it is also possible to arrange several portals one above the other. Such an arrangement increases the number of assembly levels, which in turn leads to an increase of the production speed and to a still higher flexibility with respect to the application fields of the inventive assembly device.